ARU right to steer clear of Andrew Fifita

Is rugby still perceived as the little brother to rugby league, in so much as it is easily pushed around and manipulated by those who need an ego boost? That was my thought as the Andrew Fifita saga played out this week.

What gets me is the blatant suggestion of 'if I don’t succeed with my contract negotiations, I can always fall back on the good-old rugby folk to pick up the slack'.

I did like the tough stance of the ARU, saying the player in question was not on its radar, and not in its plans for the future.

It was then backed up by Brumbies director of rugby Laurie Fisher, who said you should want players who want to play rugby for the right reasons and not just because they see dollar signs.

After the initial raid on league players over a decade ago, there is a sense that perhaps it’s now better to develop rather than poach. There are exceptions to that rule.

When I heard Fifita’s comments about how he should have signed with rugby, I was a taken aback at the nonchalant attitude portrayed by the statement that rugby would have taken him on without a second thought.

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Is that the player’s doing, or is the manager lurking in the background looking for a bargaining chip?

I was confused by his timing after having just signed a multimillion-dollar deal. Keep those thoughts private mate.

After taking some backlash from fans earlier in the week, he fell into the trap of speaking his mind. In this day and age, that is a no-no.

The message from some clubs is we want players without personalities, or at least that's how players are being asked to portray themselves these days. The rule of football now is to give nothing to the public.

It’s not a new concept, it’s just not that subtle any more. Back in the day, we had our own agenda.

What we did, and what we told you, were two different things. Perhaps it's a security blanket, but personalities rule the roost and personality is what we want.

Fifita’s comments were perceived negatively by the ARU and coach Ewen McKenzie made the admission in the week that the union was not in a position to negotiate financially.

Judging by that statement, it seems the price tag was too extravagant. Was the expectation too high for someone who is familiar with the game, but has been out of the reckoning for some time? Or is the ARU playing its own game of ducks and drakes?

Anyhow, it looks like the only way for Fifita to play rugby in Australia would be to massively reduce his asking price and prove his worth.

The other option is to fast-track things. That outlet would be to take up the game overseas if the doors are blocked in Australia.

So if he believes in his worth and ability, fly to London, then jump on the Eurostar and go to France.

That’s where the big bucks are being handed out at the moment. See it as work experience, a reintroduction to the 15-man game.

You never know, Fifita might thrive in those conditions and not want to return to the homeland.

I think the ARU is through with paying over the odds for league players. No longer is the ARU to be used as a bargaining tool to inflate salaries.

It’s so easy to spot the chief executives of football clubs these days, they are the ones with the pained faces as they get hauled over the coals by a different breed of player.

No doubt players are in it for themselves. I don’t begrudge that, they have to look after their livelihood, but what seems to be lacking in some of the arrangements is the integrity of the negotiation.

That needs to remain a priority otherwise you can lose the real reason why you play the game: the enjoyment. The coin just helps.